Consistent Results with Liposuction
- Posted on: Jun 15 2020
Certain things in life can be very stubborn. Your mother-in-law and a two-year-old having a tantrum in the middle of the candy aisle of the supermarket both come to mind.
Most of us can add isolated pockets of body fat to that list. Dr. Coleman has been helping his San Antonio patients get rid of the fat with tumescent liposuction for almost three decades.
Liposuction has changed
First introduced in the U.S. in the 80s, liposuction was originally quite a violent procedure. The doctor had to move the cannula (which was much larger than those used today) back and forth violently under the skin to break loose the fat deposits to suction them out. This caused serious tissue trauma and bruising that lasted for weeks. Patients had to be under general anesthesia during the procedure.
But techniques have evolved dramatically. Liposuction today is far less invasive, with short recovery periods and most procedures performed under only local anesthesia.
Dr. Coleman has used the tumescent method for his liposuction procedures since the early 1990s. You may have heard other practices saying this is a relatively new addition to liposuction. Not so for Dr. Coleman. He has been a long-time proponent of injecting a solution of sterile saline water, Lidocaine, and epinephrine into the areas to be treated prior to introducing the cannula to suction out the fat cells.
Here’s what that tumescent solution does. The saline solution swells the area, making the fat easier to access. The Lidocaine acts as a local anesthetic, removing the need for general anesthesia. The epinephrine/adrenaline does two things: it constricts the blood vessels, making for less bleeding and subsequent bruising; and it constricts the fat cells, making them easier to break free and suction away.
After the tumescent solution has been injected, Dr Coleman makes a small incision and inserts the cannula. The cannulas he uses are quite small, requiring only a very short incision that usually only needs a Steri-strip to close afterwards. He moves the cannula back and forth, breaking loose the fat and suctioning it away. As he moves across the treatment area, he makes sure to evenly remove and sculpt the fat for a smooth final result.
Areas treated
Most people think of liposuction and their lower abdomen and their flanks. But Dr. Coleman successfully uses tumescent liposuction on areas that many plastic surgeons won’t address. These include the breasts, chin, thighs, knees, hips, and, of course, the waist. You can see examples of all of these individual areas by linking off the photos at the bottom of our liposuction page.
Are you interested in finally getting rid of those stubborn pockets of fat? Call Dr. Coleman at (210) 251-4362 to schedule your consultation.
Posted in: Liposuction
